U.S. Sailors Sue Over Fukushima Radiation

Claim TEPCO lied about safety

A group of eight American sailors are suing Tokyo Electric Power Company over radiation exposure they received in 2011. The sailors, who were helping with relief efforts, claim that TEPCO lied about the radiation threat posed by leaks from the March 2011 Fukushima disaster. The false safety assurances, the sailors say, led them into areas that were unsafe and contained radiation. They are each seeking $10 million in compensatory damages, $30 million in punitive damages, and also want a $100 million fund set up to pay their medical expenses. TEPCO expects compensation costs from the disaster to total around $38 billion.